Chapter 556: I’ll Ask a Friend to Help You
Chapter 550 of "The Great Ming in the Box" unveils: Li Daoxuan’s huge hand grabbed Qin Changqing, lifting him high into the air, six to... Continue the story!
Li Daoxuan’s huge hand grabbed Qin Changqing, lifting him high into the air, six to seven meters off the ground.As soon as the statue moved, Li Daoxuan noticed its amazing agility and surprising strength. It wasn’t just made of Silicone; inside, a metal skeleton provided solid support, preventing it from feeling soft and springy.
He was rather fond of this body.
Li Daoxuan didn’t crush Qin Changqing to death outright. Instead, he applied just enough pressure to make the man feel overwhelmingly squeezed into a ball, but just barely avoiding actual injury.
Qin Changqing was utterly petrified. Unable to utter a single word, he merely kicked his legs helplessly in mid-air.
The commoners of Jiangzhou, however, cheered loudly, many shouting and weeping with emotion.
Who could blame them? Witnessing the deity they’d worshipped all their lives suddenly come alive—how could they not cry out?
Li Daoxuan voiced, “Tell me… is Qin Changqing a good official?”
The crowd froze instantly.
If asked this ordinarily, they’d surely respond “Yes.”
But now, Jiang King himself was asking… well… that changed things.
One man roared, “No! He’s a dog official!”
Another bellowed, “He took bribes from the rich to oppress innocent people!”
“Zhou the Landlord took Old Yang’s granddaughter! Old Yang went to the governor’s office to sound the grievance drum pleading for justice! Instead, this dog official threw him in prison and tortured him to death!”
“He helped Mr. Li steal Zheng family’s two acres of land!”
Clearly, resentment against Governor Qin Changqing had festered among the people for years. Previously powerless, they’d found no outlet. But now, with Jiang King stepping out to deliver “fair judgment,” their pent-up bitterness burst through like a breached dam.
Li Daoxuan listened intently, scanning for anyone defending Qin Changqing. Not a single voice emerged—no praise, only curses.
That settled it.
“Whether this official dies… is for you to decide.”
So saying, Li Daoxuan lowered Qin Changqing slowly into the center of the crowd…
The moment he touched ground, “Ptooey!”—someone spat right in Qin Changqing’s face.
A stone flew next, hitting Qin Changqing squarely on the head with a thunk, then bouncing off and striking another man nearby. That man clutched his forehead, yelling, “Fuck! Don’t just throw rocks! You hit me! Use fists and feet, eh?”
“Right, don’t hurt our own!”
A mob of commoners lifted their fists and kicked out savagely, pummeling Qin Changqing in the middle.
Unprotected and bullied by corrupt officials for so long, they’d endured in silence. But now, backed by the eight-meter-tall Jiang King standing guard, they finally savored the feeling of “having powerful support.” The helplessness vanished; their pent-up fury poured out through their swinging fists.
Those on the periphery, unable to reach Qin, grew frantic: “Let me in! I want a kick too!”
“Take turns! You frontliners shouldn’t have all the fun! Let us outside have our turn!”
By now, nearly every citizen of Jiangzhou City was converging on Jiang King Temple’s entrance. The narrow street overflowed; people crammed themselves onto nearby walls, covered distant rooftops. One rooftop proved too weak—someone crashed through, sending chickens scattering below and causing bedlam.
Amid the crowd, Qin Changqing soon became unrecognizable under the relentless beating. Yet, even without a clear “target,” the mob didn’t disperse. They remained pressed in layers three deep, turning their gazes up with reverence to the colossal form of Jiang King.
“Thank you, Jiang King!”
“Thank you for your great kindness!”
Li Daoxuan saw that the situation was already under control and could start implementing his plan.
He slowly opened his mouth and said in a tone filled with echoes:
“The rain… has already fallen… this year you can plant crops…”
The people:
“May Jiang King bless us! This year will be a good harvest!”
Jiang King was the god of grain harvest, so the common folk naturally prayed for that first.
Li Daoxuan:
“A bumper harvest alone is not enough; there must also be convenient transportation…”
This truth was understood by even slightly knowledgeable commoners.
They paused for a moment, not quite understanding why Jiang King was saying this at such a time.
Li Daoxuan:
“I only handle the harvest; I can’t manage other things… so… I’ve invited a friend to assist you. His name is Dao Xuan Deity…”
The common folk had no idea who Dao Xuan Deity was, but since Jiang King called him a friend, that was sufficient. Why ask further questions? Anyway, expressing gratitude immediately was the right approach.
“Thank you, Jiang King!”
Li Daoxuan:
“Dao Xuan Deity will help you dredge the river channels, aiding your prosperity and wealth. You must cooperate fully…”
The people:
“We obey!”
Quickly, the enormous Jiang King flew up, climbing higher and higher…
He entered into the Sharp Knife Troop of low cloud.
The cloud layer closed over, and Jiang King disappeared.
The people:
“Wow! Jiang King has returned to heaven.”
After that, the cloud layer parted once more.
This time, a much smaller deity than Jiang King flew out, roughly the size of an ordinary person.
This was, of course, Li Daoxuan producing another proportionally small silicone Deity, the Little Deity.
This Little Deity descended from the sky and landed in front of the crowd with a splat.
This time, there was no metallic skeleton within the silicone body.
So the body was very soft and bouncy.
After landing, it twisted strangely into an angle no normal person could achieve, then sprang back swiftly and resiliently, finally steadying itself.
The people:
Silicone Deity shook his hands and wiggled his feet, now alive!
He grinned broadly and laughed “hehe”:
“Jiang King has sent me to look after you.”
For a moment, the common folk didn’t know what to say, so they merely continued:
“Thank you, Deity!”
Silicone Deity pointed his hand at the Fen River beside the city:
“I need to widen this river, deepen it, restoring its former transport capacity.”
“You must quickly notify the fishermen on the river.”
“Get them all ashore and drag their little wooden boats up onto the bank.”
“To avoid wrecking them later during my spellcasting.”
The common folk were half-convinced and half-skeptical.
They trusted Jiang King but distrusted this deity of unknown origin.
Had they not seen him plummeting from the sky, some might even have suspected him of fraud.
However…
The act of descending from the sky carried an aura of divine authority, so the people did not dare to disobey and obediently followed the command.
The fishermen swiftly steered their little wooden boats to the shore.
People on the bank helped drag them, pulling all the little wooden boats fully ashore and hauling them far from the water’s edge.
Soon, not a single boat remained visible on that stretch of the Fen River.
Silicone Deity scrambled up to the south tower of the city.
He faced the Fen River, now resembling a small ditch.
He raised both hands and called out:
“Everyone, watch closely!”